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517 



r. S. DRPAT^tMENT ()! AGRICULTURE., 
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY— BULLETIN No. 43. 

I . r > ■ ALLOWA V, Ohiel pt Buroim. 



\PANESE BAMBOOS 



VNJ) TIIKIR INTUODUCTION I^TO AMERICA. 



l)A\ll> (i FAIRCTTILI), AGRTCTTT-Tri.Ai, Kxpi.(1uf,r. 



SEE ■ ANI. lUANl INTRODUCTION >v^•V. [ 1 1 :,TR I BU TION 



Iss'-TTP .Tfi.v :;, I'.ut:, 







WASHINGTON: 

UOVEKNMBNT PRINTING UFFIt E. 

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Bui 43, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S Dept of Agriculture. 



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A Commercial Grove of Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), Near Kyoto, 

Japan. 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

I- 

BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY- BULLETIN No. 43. 



B T, CALLOWAY, riiiL^liif liiimin. 



JAJ^ANESE BAMBOOS 



AND TlIKIlt INTRODUCTION INTO AMKlllCyV. 



DAVID G: FATRCHILD, A(iKicui/ruRAi, Explorer. 



SEED AND PLANT INTRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION. 



Issued .Jily :1, 1!IU3. 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 



1908. 



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BUKKAU OF PLiANT INDUSTRY. 

Beveki.v T. (iai.i.owav, i'liiif iif Hiireim. 

SEED AND PLANT INTKoDrCTloN AND DISTKIBUTIUN. 

SCIKNTII'U' S'l'AFF. 

A. J. l'[ETEiis, llijIniiiM ill I'liariji'. 

'W . W. Tkacy, sr., Special Agent. 

S. A. Knapp, Special Agent. 

David (i. Fairchild, Ai/riciiUnni/ lit plunr. 

John E. W. Tkapy, Ex/icrl. 

George W. Oliver, Ejcperi. 



MAR 31 19C.3 

D. or D. 



L1-;TTHR ()!■ TRAXSMITTAL 



U. 8. l)i:rAKTMENT OF AcKICULTUKK, 

Bureau of Plant Industkv, 

Office of the Chief, 
Washington, D. 0., May 16, 1903. 
Siu: I li;i\o tlio honor to transmit liennvith a iwppr entitled ''Jap- 
anese IJaiiihoos and Their Introduction into America," and respectfully 
recommend that it be published as Bulletin No. 43 of the series of this 
Bureau. 

This paper was pi-epared l)v Mr. I)avid (1. Fairchild, Agricultural 
Explorer, who has been detailed ))y you to accompany Mr. l>arl)our 
Lathrop on his expeilitions in search of vahiable seeds and plants, and 
it has been submitted by the Botanist in Charge of Seed and Plant 
Introduction and Distribution with a view to publication. 

The illustrations which accompany this paper, consisting of eiglit 
half-tone plates, are considered essential to a full understanding of the 
text. 

Respectfully, B. T. Galloway, 

i 'hitj'' (if Biinmi. 
Hon. James Wilson, 

Secretary o/' Ai/rlcidtiire. 

3 



PKl'l-ACE. 



The bamboo has h)ng' ))ocn known as one of the best of ornamentals 
wherever the elimate is sufBeiontly mild to permit of its cultivation, 
but besides its value as an ornamental tiie bamboo lias in its native 
homea multitude of uses whic-h make it one of the nidst important 
plants in the economy of Japanese life. 

Both Mr. Barbour Latlirop and Mr. Fairchild ar(> convinced that 
the bamboo ma}' be adapted to many uses in America, and th(^ present 
Indletin is intended to call attention to the possibilities in this direction 
and to describe some of the most important species. 

A. J. PlETKKS, 

Tlii1((iiixt ill ('Ji<(r<ii'. 

Office of Botanist in Charce of 

Seed and Plant Intuoduction and Di.stuihution. 

W(tsh!v</fi>i,, I). C.. 2/tii/ s. Will. 

5 



CONTHNTS. 



I'agi<. 

IntnxUictidn i) 

General cuUHideraticjiis 10 

tJeneral characters of the Japanese liarii)ici(iM 14 

Propagation of Japanese bamboos l(i 

Snitable Incation ami soil conditions for l)aMib(ios ■. . . 19 

Japanese management of lianiboo groves 21 

Profits of bamboo cnlture in Japan 2.'! 

Cnltnre of the eilible bamboo , 24 

Different species of bamboos 2.'r 

Phyllostachys mitis 27 

Phyllostaohys quilioi 27 

Phyllostachys henonis 28 

"Madaradake" or " Ummon-cbiku" 2S 

Phyllostachys nigra 29 

Phyllostachys castillonis 29 

Phyllostachys anrea 30 

Phyllostacliys bamlinsoides 30 

Piiyllostacliys marliacea 31 

Ariniilinaria japonica 31 

Arnndinaria simoni _ . . . _ 32 

Arundinaria hindsii 32 

Arnndinaria Iiindsii, var. graminea 33 

Bambnsa veitchii 33 

I'ambiisa pahnata 33 

Piandinsa ((nadrangnlaris 33 

Bambnsa vnlgaris 34 

"Shakntun " 34 

Description of plates 36 



1LI,I1STRATI0NS. 



Pl.A'iK 1. ( '(Unincrcinl ^rovri)!' hlarli li;ijiilnni( /'hi/llnsl'trliif^ nitfra), ut'nv Kyoto, 

Japan Knintispiccc. 

II. A well-kept I'urest of tiinliev bamlMni (J'liiillo.iljirliiis (jiiilloi) on good 

■ fioil , Sf> 

III. Fig. 1. — A well-kept fore.'jt of timber l)aml)oo {Phiilhislfn-ln/x (inilidi) 

on poor soil. Fij;. 2. — \ baiUy ke]it forest of tinilirr banihoo ( I'lii/I- 
liixlticlnin iiiiiliiii) on good soil iW 

IV. Bamboo fjruve.s in Japan. Fig. 1. — .\ hillside forest of edible bam- 

boo, 20 years old. Fig. 2. — A grove of edible bamboo more than 
100 years old. Fig. IS. — Twclve-day-old shoot of Pluilloatiirliiixfjnllidi 

in forest of same timber speeies M(i 

V. Bamboo groves in Japan. Fig. 1. — C'Inmp of AnnicVnuirid ninioni, 
showing ])ersistent sheaths. Fig. 2. — Grove of Plii/Uoxturlnii: (jidlini, 
age nnknown. Fig. ?>. — I'lat of a sjiecies of bamboo ealU'd " llan- 

ihikn " M(l 

VI. Fig. 1.— Black bamboo phinl, showing tlie effect of tbe di'ath of the 
rhizome. Fig. '-'. — Properly dng yonng plant of black bamboo. 
Fig. 3. — Kliiznme of bandioo, with yonng .shoots and roots spring- 
ing from nodes 'Ai> 

VII. Kig. 1. — A few dwarf bamboos. Fig. 2. — Endiankment of Hiniilni.tu 
irllrliii ill Tokyo. Fig. '■'<. — Sawdust on snrface of shoot, iiidieatiiig 
[>resence of cnlm-boring lar\a. Fig. 4. — Longitudinal .section of 

shoot, showing cnlm-boring larva S<> 

VIII. Bamboos in ('alifornia. Figs. 1 and .">. — PliiiUosldchiix (/iiilidi (?) f)n 
the grounds of a nursery company at Niles. Fig. 2 — Clnniji of 
Pliillhixtid-liiix iiiiilidi, tlu' second year after transplanting at Niles . S(i 

8 



B. r. I.— sfi. s, p. I, n.— 33. 

.lAI'ANESE I5AMH00S AND THEIR INTRODUCTION 

INTO AMERICA. 



INTRODUCTION. 

This Imlletin ropresents :i siiiiill part of the work uccoiuplislied by 
Mr. Biirl)oui- Lathrop's tliiid cxix'flitioTi in search of vaiiialile seeds 
and plants, and comprises niatei'ial j^atheivd durini;' a four niontlis' 
stay in .Tapan. 

Its object is to call the attention of American cultivators to a group 
of the most beautiful and useful of all ijlants which has hitiierto been 
neglected by them, either l)ecause they believe it adapted only to a 
tropical climate or to be of oidy ornamental \alu(\ and to point out 
how far both of these views are fallacious. 

Anyone wlio has attemj)te(l to collect data in an ()i-iental country 
will appreciate the difliculties whicii are encountered in workino- 
throutfii an interpreter, and will understand that some of the state- 
ments in this Imlh^tin must depend ui)on the accuracy of the trans- 
lations. Mr. K. Yendo, of the botanic oai'dens in Tokyo, was, 
however, particularly well lifted to intei-])i-et on l)ot:uiical matters, 
and it is hopcnl few ei'rors ha\(> been made. 

The writer wishes to express his indetitedness and gratitude for 
assistance to Mr. T. Makino, of the Tokyo Botanic (Jardens, who is 
the .lapanese authority on bamboos; Mr. Isuke Tsul>oi, of Kusafuka, 
near Ogaki, who is one of the best amateur cultivators of these 
plants; and especially to Mr. II. Suzuki, of Yokohama, for most 
valuable advice and assistance regai'ding trans])lantmg and shipping. 

The valuable work of Sir Ernest Satow on " The Cultivation of 
Bamboos in Japan," in Volume XXVII of the Transactions of the 
Asiatic Society of Japan (18!t!»), and above all, ''The Bamboo Gar- 
den," by Mr. Freeman Mitford (1896), which is the most attractive and 
useful book ever written on this group of plants, have been drawn 
upon largely, especially in the preparation of the descriptions of the 
various species. 

9 



10 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

GENEE.AL CONSIDERATIONS. 

The bamboo groves of eJupMu are not only one of the most striking 
features of its hindseapes but one of its most profitable plant cultures. 

The largest well-kept groves in the world, except perhaps those of 
Burma, are growing in the central provinces, and some of these are 
several .square miles in area. In the Tropics generally the bamboo is 
cultivated in small clumps, but in Japan it is grown with almost the 
same care that is given to the field crops. 

No other nation has found so many artistic uses for the plant as 
the .Ti'panese. and in no other <'ountry, except it Ix' China, is such a 
vari(^ty of forms employed by the conuuon people. 

The plant is a nece,ssity to the Japanese peasant; it forms one of the 
favorite themes of the Japanese artist, and out of it are manufactured 
•some of the moi-t delicate works of Japanese art. The bamboo is in 
fact one of the greatest cultivated plants of this jilant-loving race. 

It is a popular misconception that bamboos giow only in (hci Tropics. 
Japan is a land of bamboos, and yet where these plants grow it is not 
so warm in winter as it is in California. In legions where the snows 
are so heavy that they often break down th(> young stems and where 
the thermometer drops to 15 (F.) l)elow the freezing point, the largest 
of the Japanese species grows and forms large groves. 

For many years the gai'dens of France and England have been 
beautified liy clumps t)f these Japan(\se band)Oos, and even in America 
occasional plants can be found growing in the open air. which prove 
the possibility of acclimatizing these i-cpr('s(>ntatives of this most use- 
ful family of plants. A temperature of tl F. has not proved fatal to 
a large number of the hardy kinds in England. 

Although nearly every d(>scription of those regions where bamboos 
grow gives sonu> account of their uses, there is still in the minds of 
many Americans a doubt as to the value of these ])lants foi' growtli in 
the United States. 

Bamboos are not like new grains or fodders which will yi(>ld prompt 
returns in money, but they are essentially wood-producing jjlants, 
whose timber is unlike that of any temperate-zone forest trees, and is 
suitable for the manufacture of a multitude of articles for which our 
own woods are not well adajjted. They are the most convenient plants 
in the world for cultivation about a farmhouse, and in those regions 
where they can grow would, if introduced, prove themselves in time 
one of the greatest additions imaginaltle to the plants of the conuuon 
people. 

The Japanese and Chinese, who are the most jiractical agriculturists 
in the world, have for centuries depended upon the bamboo as one of 
their most useful cultures, and the natives of tropical India and the 
Malay Archipelago would be much more at a loss without it than the 



OKNERAL CONSIUEKATIONS. 1 1 

Aniorican t'armoi' without the whito pine, for th(\v :ii'o not 011)3' dcpend- 
ont upon it for their huildini;- niiiterial, hut inaiie their ropes, mats, 
kitchen utensils, and innumerable other articles out of it, and at the 
same time consider it among the most nutritious of their vegetables. 
To eiuaueifite the uses of such a family of plants as this would lie like 
giving a list of the articles made from American pine, and it would 
not serve the purpose of this bulletin so well as to simply point out 
the fact that the wood of this bamboo is suited to the manufacture of 
a different class of articles and tills a different want from that of any 
of our American woods. Every country schoolboy is aware of the 
sup(n"iority of a bamboo fishing pole over an\' other. Its flexibility, 
lightness, and stnMigth distinguisii it sharply from any American poles, 
and make it better suited for a fishing rod than one made from any 
wood grown in this country. It is liecause the American .schoolboys 
are so firmly convinced that tlu^ bamboo fishing poles are the best that 
the importers are warranted in shii)ping into the United States from 
..Tallin every year sevei-al millions of them." 

The thin, flexible ribs of the imported Japanese fan are made fi'om 
the wood of the same plant, and no one can fail to recognize the pecul- 
iar fitness of the material for this particular use. 

These are two uses of bamlioo wood which illustrate its character, 
and must be familiar to nearly everyone. When one realizes, how- 
ever, that they are .selected from over a ]iund)-(»d, which would be just 
as familiar to the Cliinese or Japanese, it seems highly pr()t)able that 
this wood nuist ))e applicable to many other needs among Americans, 
which a closer ac(juaintance with it would reveal. Santos Dumont 
has einployiMl bamboo extensively in the framework of his dirigible 
balloons, and Edison once used it in his incandescent lamps. 

Americans sec in America onlj' the imported poles or manufactured 
articles as a rule, and from these it is very diflicult to imagine the 
nudtitude of uses to wliicii the green, uncured stems are put. It is 
for just such things as can be made quickly from the green shoots that 
the plant is peculiarly fitted, and this suitaliility for making all sorts 
of handy contrivances is one of the principal reasons why it shoidd be 
made a common plant among the farmers of those parts of our coun- 
try where it will grow. 

The bam})oos l)elong to the familj- of the gra.sses, and if this fact is 
kept in mind many peculiarities of their habits and characters will be 
easily understood. They should be distinguished, however, from the 
reeds, of which we have a number in America, especially such as are 
called "bamboo reed" or " Arundo" {Arundo dimax), a rank-growing 
grass, with stems Viearing long broad leaves to their very bases. 

"The writer was informed l)y a lar};e grower near Kyoto that 10,000,000 are 
exported from Japan every year, and tliat the largest share of them goes to America. 



12 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

These reeds, although useful, have very soft stems, which are entirely 
different in texture from those of the true bamboo. The caneluakes 
of the South arc made up of a species of bamboo, l)ut unfortunatel}' 
the wood of this species is of very little value. The tall, plume-like 
stem of the bamljoo, which sonietimes reaches a height of 100 feet, has 
many of the characteristics of a giant grass (PI. I). It is composed 
of joints, is hollow (PI. VIII, hg. 1), and grows to its full licight from 
a t'reeping underground stem in a few days, quite as does a shoot of 
(juack grass. The rapidity with which a new culm grows is one of the 
most remarkable facts about it, and often hewildei's the layman, who 
is accustomed to judge tiie age of a tree by its size (PI. VII). Over 
a foot a day is not an unusual rate during the most rapid growth — a 
I'ate of 3 feet per day has been recorded — and a shoot moi-e than 20 
feet high may be h'ss than Hfty days above the ground. Its develop- 
ment may be compared in a rough way to tliatof a siioot of asparagus, 
and anyone wIid has seen how easily a yoiuig stem of baml)oo can be 
snapped off by merely shaking it will ap])reciate this comparison. 

In common with the stems of grasses, those of the bamboo have a 
hard, .siliceous exterior, which makes them more impervious to mois- 
ture and more durable than ordinary wood of the same weight. The 
presence of partitions at short intervals, which cut up tlie hollow stem 
into natural i-eceptacles, is another valuable characteristic. These 
partitions can, however, be easily removed, and the hollow stem used 
as a pijje, or (he l)ipe can be sjilit open from end to end to form two 
semicylindi'ical troughs. The ease with wliicli th<^ green stems can be 
split into slender pieces, winch range in size from half that of the 
stem itself to the fineness of a horsehair, is one of the most remarkable 
(|ualities oi the wood, and makes it adapted to iiuumierable kinds of 
basket, sieve, screen, and mat making. Th(^ fact that no long ])rocess 
of curing is necessary before stems which have been cut fresh from 
tiie forest can Im' used is one of tiie qualities that makes tlu^ plant of 
such great con\('nience in the peasant homes of tlie Orient. Many of 
the articles of liamboo manufactui-e could be replaced l)y metal ones, 
but it is the convenience of having always at liand a stock of material 
which can be easily made into a host of improvised things that makes 
the plant so \aluabl(>. This latter is a point which slioidd appeal espe- 
cially to Americans, who are called the handiest people in the world. 

The employment of the young sprt)uts as a vegetable is alone worthy 
of the serious iittention of oui- cultivators, for the fondness which 
many American residents show for liamboo shoots indicates the possi- 
))ility of creating a demand foi- them in America. 

But in addition to the uses of the liamboos as timber and food plants 
their value from an aesthetic standpoint is incontestal)le. They are 
among the most graceful forms of vegetalile life that exist, and add 
an indescribable charm to an}' landscape (PI. I). No one who has 



GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 13 

ever .seen tlioiii iti Cliiiui or -hipuii can fail to have been impressed 
with their beauty or convinced of the great charm whit'h they lend to 
the otherwise often monotonous character of the sccnerj'. Thev are 
waving plumes of d(>licate g'reen foliage, which, whether seen against 
the sky line or backed b}' a darker mass of forest, always give a pecul- 
iar softness to the scene. 

Nearh^ ever}' farmhouse has growing near it a ( lunii) of some one 
of the useful species, and tln^ graceful mass of culms transforms what 
would be an uninteresting plaster and tih» house into a pretty. ])irtur- 
es(jue home. 

It is, however, the introduction of the hardy ri'presentatives of this 
remarkable family of plants into the United St^ites that should attract 
the attention of Americans, and the object of this bulletin is to show 
how the various kinds of bam))oo are cultivated in .Japan, and to 
suggest how these methods of cultivation can be applied to American 
conditions. 

As might be expected, in a group of plants containing hundretls of 
species, there is a great range of hai'diness auiong them. Some of the 
Japanese forms are able to thrive in the coldest regions of Hokkaido, 
the North Island, while others are too tender to l)e grown successfully 
even in the comparatively mild climate of the central provinces. 

There is also a great range in the size of the didereiit species. Some 
are so small that tiiey creep over the ground, forming a reeddike, rank- 
growing greensward (PI. VII, tig. 2), while others grow to a height 
of 4<i feet or more and jn'oduce stems which are (! and 7 inciies in 
iliameter (PI. IV). C'ertain forms are suited only for potting purposes 
and are chosen by the .Japanese gardeners as objects ui)on which to 
practice their dwarfing art (PI. VII, fig. 1), whlli^ otiiers arc grown in 
forests wiiich are many acres in extent. 

While the introduction into America of some of tlie smaller forms 
is a desirable matter, the main interest attaches to securmg and estab- 
lishing the hardy forest species. 

As previously remai'ked, there are many i)lants of .Japanese bam- 
l)oos already growing in America. Clumi)s of the \ cry hardy kinds 
may be seen occasionally m prnate gardens or pul)lic parks m the 
South, even as far north as Washuigton; but owing either to the tlilfi- 
culty of getting the plants or a failure to undei'stand their manage- 
ment these liave never l)ecome populai' farm plants. Potted specimens 
of the small species are to be met with in many florists' collections, and 
some are used as lawn plants, but the employment of even these is 
very limited. 

In California, where the .lapanese and Chinese species thrive very 
well, there are many large specimens, and even one small forest, while 
a number of Californians are enthusiastic baml)oo fanciers. Dr. H. 
Tevis, of San Francisco, has probably the largest collection on the 



14 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

I'iioitic coast, and his liiothcr Ims u yrovc ;it Bakerstield in which 
stems over -id feet high uic said to tie growing. Tiie (iolden (Tate 
Park has several ehinips which are very proniisino-, and Mr. McLaren, 
the .superintendent, was most enthusiastic over an offer l)}^ Mr. Lathrop 
to present several thoii.sand to the paric, with whidi to start a yroveor 
two of nioic tlum a half acr(^ in extent. In the grounds of a nursery' 
company at Niles, dal., there are several rows (PI. VIII) of the tim- 
ber bamboo, individuals of which are certainly 25 feet in height; and 
a beautiful little gi'ove, probably vi J'/ii/I/ontdc/ii/s quiUoi, in the town 
of Herkeley, was destroyed a few years ago to make way for a street. 
In Florida tlie W('ll-kn(iwn niiisery firms have already impoi-ted many 
different species. 

Mr. Lathrop is assisting the l)epartmentof Agriculture in an attempt 
to introduce on a large scale the best of the Japanese timber sorts 
and arouse the interest of a large class of cultivators in those r(>gions 
where the plants are likeh^ to succeed, and it is to be hoped that the 
time is not far off' when many thou.sands of young plants will be set 
out through these .sections of the ITnited States. 

GENERAL CHARACTERS OF THE JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

Hand>oos are not trees, although their .stems or culms are sometimes 
as large as tree trunks, and it is essential that their character as grasses 
be kept in mind. 

They have the power of producing seeds, whicli resemble (in .lapa- 
nese species, at least) kernels of I'ice or l)arley, but they flower as a 
rule only at intervals of niany years, and very few of the flowers ever 
form seed. The formation of nr.iturc seed is so uncommon in Japan 
that Mr. Makino, of the Tokyo Botanic Gardens, who is writing a 
monograph on the fanuly, sa\s he has never seen the seed of certain 
of the common species. 

In the almost total absences of the method of reproduction' by seed 
the l)aml)oos have developed their rhizomes, or underground stems, 
and it is upon these that the spread and nudtiplication of the individ- 
uals dej)ends. Unlike an ordinary tree, therefore, a clump of bamboos 
has underground stems in addition to its root system. A mass of tliese 
creeping rhizomes, which grow out in various directions from the base 
of the clump, give rise every year to the new shoots which increase 
the diameter of the clump. A single rhizome, according tx) Dr. Sliiga, 
chief of the bureau of forest management in Tokyo, continues grow- 
ing for four seasons and then ceases, but from the bases of the shoots 
it produces new rhizomes grow out which have a similar period of 
growth. If these underground stems or rhizomes are injured or 
checked in any way from spreading freely through the soil, the clump 
of aerial shoots will remain small; ))ut if given rich .soil and abundance 



GENEKAL CUAUACTEKS. 15 

of moisture :i few plants will spiciul ynuliuillv until they t-ovcr a con- 
siderable area. 

The new shoots of bamboo are produced by tliti'erent species at 
dilferent seasons of the year. The majority of Japanese species send 
up their new stems in the spring, beginninj;' in April and May, and 
it is th(>se sorts that stand the best chance of succeedinir in America, 
l(e<-ause our colli winters will kill back any young- yrowth produced 
late in the summer. 

This growint;' period is the most critical one in the lifii of the plant, 
as the shoots during development are easil}' injured by winds, frosts, 
or di-oug]its, and it is upon the growth of these j'oung stems that the 
beauty of the clump during the sunuucr depends. 

If one exanune a rhizome of band)oo (1*1. VI, tig. o) it will Itc seen 
to have at short intervals i)artitions or nodes, above each of which is 
situated a small pointed bud, and from each bud arises a number of 
fibrous roots. It is by the elongation and thickening of these buds 
that the new shoots are formed, and if it is injured, though the rhizome 
may remain alive for many years, it will not produce any new buds or 
shoots from these nodes. 

When a bud at the node of one of the underground stems has 
swollen until it is much larger in diameter than the rhizome which 
supports it and has sent down a number of good, strong roots, it 
begins to elongate and push its way up through the soil. Tough, 
overlapping sheaths protect the tender tip from injury, as well as the 
undeveloped branches on the sides of the elongating shoot. These 
sheaths are ))ornc on alternate sides of the stem l)v each intcrnode or 
joint (Fl. IV, tig. 1), and are, according to Sir Ernest Satow, char- 
acteristic of each species." They are tough and l)oai-d-like, many of 
them, often covered outside with tine liristles and characteristically 
marked; and the tip of each is provided with a leaf-like appendage 
called ]}seud<rphyU, which varies in shape with each species. These 
protecting organs remain closely attached to the stem until it has 
nearly finished its growth, when they stand out from the stem, allow 
the young lu'anches hidden beneath to develop, and finally drop off. 
In some species the sheaths remain attached longer than in others, 
and in certain species they never drop oti', but gradually dry up and 
break to pieces. 

lentil the young stem has attained its full height it is quite liranch- 
less, like a shoot of asparagus. On reaching maturity, however, the 
sheaths fall back and the young branches elongate and unfold their 
leaves. Most large forest bamboos have no l)ranches near the ground, 
the first four or six nodes failing to produce them. When grown in 

"The Cultivation of Bamboos in Japan, Trans. Asiat. 8oc. Japan, Vol. XXVII, 
Part III, 1899, Price, 5 yen. 



16 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

den.se masses even the first twenty or more are often devoid of 
branches. The smaller the shoot the more likely it is to branch from 
the lower nodes. 

The leaves of bamboo vary greatly i" size, but have one general 
lanceolate form, some being nearly a foot long by (5 inches wide, and 
suitable for wrapping material; but the majority of forest forms at 
least have leaves from 'J to <i inches long. Mr. Clifford points out 
in his most interesting l)ouk, "The Bamboo Garden," that the leaves 
of all hardy species in England have not only the parallel longitudinal 
"nerves which are connnon to all bamboos, but delicate cross nerves 
which give a leaf the appearance, when held up to the light, of being 
covered with a network of veins. All species tested by him wiiich 
(lid not have these "tesselated" leaves, iis he calls those l(>a\'cs with 
cross as well as longitudinal veins, proved tender in England. 

Little use is made of the foliage of most species of bamboo, a few 
only beinjv used for fodder where better food in not obtainable. One 
species in Hokkaido is said to be browsed over b\' the few cattle 
which are there. Wiien first produced the young foliage is often of a 
dark-green color, but as it l)ec(>nies older it changes to a lighter shade 
of green, and on very old culms if often has a yellowish tinge. These 
difl'erences in the coloi' of the foliage are what give such a variable 
ajjpearance to a bamboo forest. 

Although pr()(hiced in a few weeks, a stem recjuires three or four 
years to harden and become lit for use. and if left standing in the 
forest too long, or until it becomes yellow, it loses nuich of its 
elasticity. Culms that are twenty years old have lost nuich of their 
l)eauty, the foliage becoming scant and the stems yellow and scarred. 

The roots of the l)amboo resemble those of Indian corn. They are 
bi'ittle and easily broken and are nevei' of any great size, but are 
formed in large masses from file nodes of the underground stems. 

PROPAGATION OF JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

If Japanese banilioo-.; producecl seed, the cheapest and .safest way to 
propagate them would be by impoi'ting large' quantities of fiie latter 
and growing them in seed beds; but as none of the useful species bears 
fruit, except at very long intervals, it is necessary to propagate the 
plants by other means. Two methods have been practiced, one of 
which, however, is only used to a limited extent. 

The safest way is the simi)lo one of digging up young plants, 
separating them from the mother clumps, and transplanting them 
to the desired situsition. This nu'thod seems very simple, but there 
arc several essential points regarding it which must be attended to if 
the transplanting is to prove a success. If the transplanting is only 
from a forest to n loi'ation near by, it n)|iy be done at an}' time during 



PROPAGATION. 17 

tlio yrowino; season. In -r'apan this period cxtiMids from April until 
July, inclusivo. If, liowcvcr. the ])lants are (h'sired for phmting in 
a foreign eountiv. Aniei'iea, for e.\aniph\ they shoul<i he due- early in 
April, set out in nursery rows, antl allowed to "row until the middle 
of dulv. Those which in .Inly show a new yrowth from th(> rhizome 
should then lie transplanted ayain into the same kind of soil, and in 
()ctt)l)er they will lie in eondition for diej^iny and shipment. Mr. 
'rsuhoi, of Kusafuka, cuts l)aek the culms on his young- plants to one or 
two nodes when he first dies them in April, at which time they form 
a rosette of leaves near the ground (PI. VI, Ag. 1). When treated in 
this way they produce small plants which would he \ery economical 
for shippine-, as they re(|uire little box space. 

Much depends upon the sidectiou of the youne- plants whether or 
not a vigorous clump results fi'om its planting- in a few years. The 
mother plant should lie inspected to see if it is in good health. If the 
branches are affected by what is known as '• witches' broom," which 
makes gnarled, irregular tangles of the small branches, young plants 
should not be taken from them. A species of snnit (l^stilago) some- 
times ati'ects the young branches and produt-es an appearance similar 
to that of the witches' broom, but this is less ainuulant than the former 
disease. The larvaOf a species of beetle, who>e habits are not yet fully 
known so far as could be ascertained, sometimes causes considerable 
damage by boring- into the young shoots and penetrating through seg- 
ment after segment of the young growth, stunting the culm and com- 
pletely ruining it for timber jjurpo'^es (PI. VII, figs. 3 and 4). A young 
plant in bloom is considered wortlili'ss for transplanting, as it seldom 
gives rise to new shoots. 

The proper way is to select a 3'oung plant with tiranches near the 
ground and cut down with a spade or other cutting- tool on all sides of 
the base at a distance of not less than S inches, severing the rhizomes 
which connect the i)laiit with the mother clump. Dig out a good-sized 
ball of earth with the roots inclosed in it, shake off the superfluous 
earth, cut back the stem to two branch-bearing nodes, and transfer to 
a nursery row (PI. VI, fig. "2). If no rhizome is dug up with the plant, 
or if the rhizome is dead, the plant may live on for several 3'ears, a 
rosette of leaves forming at the top of the stem, without the formation 
of any new shoots (PI. VI, fig. 2). Mr. Tsuboi is of the opinion that 
plants with dead rhizomes will live for seven or eight years and appear 
perfectly health}-. The plant is kept alive by the fibrous roots, but 
has no power to form a new rhizome. In the purchasing of plants 
from nursery companies the principal point to ascertain is whether 
the rhizome is alive and in vigorous condition. The part above ground 
may be to all appearances in good health, while the rhizome is dead, 
making the plant worthless. 

If these properly dug plants which have been set in nursery rows 
27038— No. 43—03 2 



18 JAl'ANESE BAMBOOS. 

in April are in.speeted in July .sonic of them will lia\'e 1)ei^iin the for- 
mation of new shoots from their active rhizomes. Plants of which 
the rhizomes show no signs of activity, it should be emphasized, are 
proltahly weak and should not l)e chosen for the second transplanting, 
especially if desig-ned for a long ocean voyage. In October the 
twice-transplanted bamboos, hardened by this transplanting process, 
are dug and their roots, together with a ball of earth, are wi-apped 
with coarse straw twine, surrounded with a layer of moist sphagnum, 
-jand packed carefully in well-aired boxes. All holes in such boxes 
should be carefully closed with wire netting to keep out rats during 
the voj'age. Very little foliage should be left on the plants when 
they are shipped in this way (see PI. VI, fig. 2). October is the 
best month for shipjiing from Japan, because the plants have by that 
time gone into a dormant condition and travel safer, and the extreme 
cold weather M'ill not have begun before they reach their destination 
in America. 

P^ven with these precautions, the plants on arrival after a sea voyage 
require special attention. According to Mitford, who has had much 
experience with their importation, they should not b(^ planted out in 
their p(>rmanent places befon^ they have recovered fi'om the effects of 
the journey. The balls of earth should l)e first thoroughly soaked in 
water and the plants then potted and placed in a cool house for the 
winter. The leaves, oi' bare culms, if the leaves are lost, should be 
copiously syringed twice a day, but the roots should not be kept too 
moist. Early in Maj' the plants should be hardened off as one hardens 
off' geraniums for bedding out, and at the (Mid of iSIay or beginning of 
,hine they will be ready to plant in their permanent places. 

This should be in soil which has been especially prepared the pre- 
vious autunui ])v doubh^ digging to a depth of 18 inches. In setting 
out, great care should be taken not to trample down the soil too 
roughly about the roots, as there is great danger of injuring the brittle 
Inids on the rhizomes or the tender fibrous roots. It is best, Mr. 
JMitford says, to consolidate the plants by watering freely. After 
planting, the ground should be fhickly covered with a mulch of dried 
leaves (PI. II), under which is a layer of cow manure; and this nudch 
should l)e kept on during the sunmi(»r months to allow the plants to 
form a good strong S3'stem of underground stems and fibrous roots. 

The above method, which embodies the exjierience of such students 
of the bamboo as Mr. Mitford, Mr. Tsuboi, and Mr. H. Suzuki, is 
probably the safest one and in the end most economical. 

It Imh Ix'cn found i/mwcvsmr;/ l>y such c\iltivators aft Mr. J. McLaren 
and Mr. John Back, of CaJifoniiu, to pot. the ])lants on arrival in such 
a warm climate aw California. They are merely heeled m, given plenty 
of vmter, and set ovt fhefolhnring spring. 

The other method of propagation is to dig up, in the winter, lengths 



LOCATION AND SOIL CONDITIONS. 19 

of l-yoar-()l(l rhizome o feet or so loiio-, nih the cut ends with wet 
ashes, allow these wet ashes to dry, and paek earefidly in a tiyht l)ox 
In tine, almost dr3' soil (PI. VI, tij;'. 3). Upon arrival these rhizomes 
are set out iu properly prepared groiuid. The shipment should be 
timed to arrive at its d(>stination in tlie early spring', so tlint the cut- 
tings can he set out at once. This method is recommended bj^ Mr. 
Mitt'ord for the commercial nursery propagation of the bamboo, but 
he does not advise its employment if the plants are to be shipped long 
distances, and the autiior has failed to find tliat it has been successfully 
tried. Mr. John Rock, of Niles, Cal., thinks bamboos could be 
propagated (puckly i!i this way. 

Even with the best of care in transplanting by the first descril)ed 
method the Japanese bamboo growers count on losing at least 10 per 
cent of their young plants, and if the conditions are not altogether 
favorable, as high as 20 per cent of failures may be expected. 

SUITABLE LOCATION AND SOIL CONDITIONS FOR BAMBOOS. 

In Japan some of the best grcjves are surroiuided by paddy fields, 
and the soil is a rich, stiff loam, lightened with a mixture of sand. 
Those visited by the writer are on the open plain and stretch up and 
down a small brook for .5 miles or moi'e. AVhatever winds blow over 
this small plain must strike the forests, but it is safe to say that such 
winds are not sti'oiig ones. A favorite site for a bamboo grove is the 
base of some range of hills or a broad valley where some mountain 
stream has brought down and deposited a mass of alluvium. These 
situations have the double advantage of suital)le soil and shelter from 
strong winds. This latter point is said l)y every grower to be an impor- 
tant one, for the j'ouug shoot, as soon as it is tall enough to come in 
contact with the branches of the older ones, is thrashed about by the 
winds and its growing tip is injured. This injury stops its growth at 
on(-e and the residting culm is imperfect. Wind-breaks of conifers 
arc sometimes planted to protect a grove which is in an exposed posi- 
tion. In America, where the prevailing winds ai'c probably as a I'ule 
stronger than they are in Japan, special attention will have to be given 
to this matter of wind-breaks. 

The (juality of the soil on which a bamboo stem is grown influences 
materially the texture of its wood. So fully is this realized by the 
Japanese that there is one particular mountain side which has the 
reputation of producing the hardest, flintiest bamboo in the country. 
The culms grown at Togeppo are cut up and made into the cylindrical 
ash boxes, or "haifuki," upon the edge of which the smokers strike 
their metal-trimmed pipes in order to kno(d\ out the ashes. After 
years of use the edge of the Togeppo ash box remains smooth, while 
that made from a stem grown in the lowlands is splintered to pieces. 



20 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

l\)ta,sli urul pli()sj)li()ric acid arc vory important I'lemtMits in tiic. for- 
mation of a strong, tough wood, and altiiougli their use in fertilizers 
does not make so much ditfereneo in tiie rapid growtli of tlic euini as 
that of nitrogen they are (|uite as important. 

A well-drained soil is just as necessary for l)anil)0()s as for man^^ 
trees, for although these plants require much moisture they are not 
swamp plants, like canes or reeds. Land which is occasionally over- 
flowed can he planted to advantage with bamljoos, according to Mr. 
-Tsuboi, if they are set on low mounds or ridges; but stagnant pools of 
water will kill the rhizomes if allowed to stand over them for many 
weeks. Em))ankments of canals, the bordei's of ponds, and river 
banks are suitable situations, especially in dry regions. Large clumps 
are growing along tJie canals in Egypt, and Algiers has many varieties 
growing in hei' trial gardens which are watered only by irrigation. 
There are in California, Oregon, Texas, and throughout the Gulf and 
Southern States thousands of suitable locations. The banks of small 
streams, the deltas of rivers, low, irrigated islands, like those in the 
San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers, would jjroduce big forests of 
these valuable plants, while tiie banks of irrigation canals, wherever 
such occur in mild climates, could be made beautiful l)y them. Any 
soil which has a large admixture of gravel in it does not prove satis- 
factory, as the gravel pre\'ents the I'apid spreading of the underground 
stems. Such compact soils as the gumbo soils of the Southwest will 
probably grow the plants well, but they will presumalily not spread 
as rapidly on such stiti' ground as they would upon a lighter loam. If 
it is the ol)ject to produce a large numlier of big culms, the l)est soil 
is one with a fair admixture of \egetal)le humus. The i-hizomes 
spread rapidly in such luunus and produce a tine crop of new shoots. 
As the roots of the forest species penetrate .'j feet into the soil, the 
writer is assured that a chiy subsoil at this depth is a desirable soil 
condition. In the cultivation of the edible l)amboos {J'lii/ll(isf(i,'Ii^/s 
iiiifis) a lighter, more sandy .soil seems to be preferred to that deemed 
suitable for the timl)er kinds, /'. qKilioi iu\A 1'. henoiiix. Most bam- 
boos will not withstand nuich drought without losing tlicii' leaves, but 
th(>v are not so dependent uj)on a moist atmosphere as most i)eople 
imagine. If they are sui)plied with plenty of water at the roots their 
leaves will keep green in a fairly di'y climate. They must not l»e con- 
sidered, however, as di'ought-resistant plants, Init as suitable for irri- 
gated land or I'egions in whicii there is at least a moderately regular 
rainfall. AtNiles, C'al., Mr. Rock has bamboos 20 feet high which are 
watered oidv twice a year with about 2 inches of water each time 
(PI. VIH). 



MANAGEMENT OF GROVES. 21 

JAPANESE MANAGEMENT OF BAMBOO GROVES. 

One of the best posted l)iiiiil)()o growers in .Iap;in infornKHl the 
writer tliat twenty j'ears aoo he did not Ivnow that iiis groves, which 
were then in a neglected state, had any money value, Init that to-day 
those parts of his farm on wiiich tlie gioves are situated are its most valu- 
able portions. The attention whieli he liestows upon tliem now is very 
inexpensive, but almost as careful as that given to any otlier of his 
crops. The following forest metliods are largely those which ^Ir. 
Tsuboi described as, fi-om his exjiericnce, the best. These are appli- 
cable with slight variations to the three principal tindier liamboos in 
Japan, and ])(>rtaiii in a general way to th(^ cultuie of th<' Dinameiital 
species. 

The land chosen for a bamboo grove should be dug over to a depth 
of li feet the autumn previous to being planted, and, if a heavy soil, 
should have worked into it a good (]uantity of trash from the stalile. 
The plants should be set out at an equal distance from eacli other at 
the rate of aliout 300 to an acre, or 12 feet apart each way. If tlie soil 
is a dry one, the ball of earth and roots should be planteil lielow the 
surface of the .soil, but if a wet one a mound should be made and the 
plants set in the upper portion of it. After planting it is important, 
as already remarked, that the .soil between the plants^ should be given 
a heavy mulch of straw, under which is a layer of cow manure. This 
mulch should l)e 7uaintained during the entii'e year. In tlie begimiing 
the roots should be supplied M'itli an abundance of water and in tlie 
autumn should be given plenty of rotted manure. If some of the 
plants die, they should be replaced by othei-s .so as to maintain as com- 
plete a stand as possil)le. It is essential as the new shoots .spring up 
that the ground at their ba.ses should be shadeil by the foliage. Tiie 
.semiobscurity of a Japanese grove is not only its gn^atest chai-m, but 
one of the necessary factors of its growth. The sooner the ground 
can be shaded l)y the plants the better. 

For the tirst three 3a^ars at least all the shoots that appear should be 
allowed to mature, but after the grove is once well estal)lish<'d only 
the largest shoots .should be permitted to grow, the others being cut 
out as soon as they appear al)ovo the ground. This thinning process 
throws the strength of the plants into a comparatively few large cidms, 
and gradually increases the height and strength of the foi'est. 

In regions where the snows are .so heavy that they break down the 
plants the practice of bringing the tops of sevei-al culms togeth(M' and 
fastening them with rope is sometimes followed. The wigwam-like 
masses formed in this way are able to support without injury the 
weight of snow. 

No culm should be cut for timber purposes until it is at least four 
years old, as before this time the wood is not mature. On the other 



99 



JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 



hand, if left standing- too long the wood hocomos too hrittlo and loses 
in value, and the forest besides is benetited by the eutting out of the 
four-year-old stems. The crop of new shoots is larg(>r. This thinning- 
out process should be so done that as few gaps as possible are made in 
the forest and the semiobsciiritv b(>low the mass of foliage is main- 
tained. 

The crop of new shoots varies in size every alternate year. A poor 
crop would mean (i to 7 per cent of new shoots and a good crop 12 to 
14 per cent. As there are conmionly li>,000 culms in a hectare" (or 
4,.5'45 in an acre) of properly planted grove ten to fifteen years old. 
this would mean the production of OOO to 700 culms per hectare for a 
light crop and 1,200 to 1,400 for a heavy one. These figures were 
very kindly furnished the writer by Dr. T. Shiga, chief of the impe- 
rial forest management in Tokyo. 

The experience of Mr. Tsuboi has licen that some kinds of forest 
trees if standing in a grove prevent the growth of the bambc)os near 
them. Oaks and chestnuts, he declares, are especially objectionable 
in this respect, while persimmons do not seem to aifect in the least 
the production of new bamboo shoots. The effect of weeds in a forest 
is undesirable, and although comparatively few species are able to live 
in such a deep shade these should be dug out as from any cultivated 
field. Attention to these various details makes a great dift'erence in 
the amount and quality of timber produced. A grove is not to be 
looked upon as merely a thicket and left to take care of itself, but as 
a plant culture which requires attention. Plates II and III show the 
effects of different methods of treating parts of the same grove. 

One important element in the culture of this peculiar tim))er plant 
is the fact that a whole forest may bloom and die in a single season, 
and that it is not possible — as yet — to tell beforehand when this bloom- 
ing will take place. The intervals lietween these periods are, however, 
so long that they are not taken into consideration by the Japanese 
farmer when he buys a bamboo grove. Little accui-ate information 
is obtainable regarding the length of life of the various Japanese 
species. l)ut P/ii/f/oxfac/if/s h,'no)iis has the reputation in Japan of 
blooming oftener than either /'. quillni^ P. nulls, or P. nigra, the 
other three important timber species. A small grove near Kawasaki 
which })loomed this season (1!*02) was reported by the owner to have 
once liloomed about sixty j^ears before. As there always remain in 
the field a number of living rhizomes, after the death of the forest, 
these renew the latter in a few years, so that the actual loss to the 
owner does not include the cost of replanting. This is the case at 
least with the Japanese bamboos. As culms which have bloomed are 
poor in quality, the practice is followed of cutting them as soon as 
possible after they show signs of blooming. 

"About 2i acres. 



PROFITS OF CULTURE. '28 

III Jiipiin, where ))aiiil)()()s aiul rice arc of'lcii orown in adjoining plats 
of yround, some trouble is experienced from the underground stems 
spreading into the ncighl)oring Helds. To prevent this a ditch 2 feet 
wide and as many feet deep is dug about the gro\-e and kept open b^^ 
several rediggings during the year. Tliis method is said to be a satis- 
factory one. It is a ditKcult matter, however, after a tield has once 
been planted to bamboos, to clear it satisfactorily for other cro{)s. for 
thei'c is a mass of these tough rhizomes that are very difficult to dig 
out. 

The harvesting of l)amboo poles is not done before August, as 
culms cut eai'lier than this date are likely to be attacked by insects, 
not liaving had time to sutKciently harden. A Kyoto grower of l>lack 
bamboos remarked that the Kotie exporters, by insisting on having 
their bamboos for export cut earlier than this date, had seriously 
injured the foreign demand, as the quality of the wood ^vas much 
injured t>y this earlj' harvest. 

A saw is often used in cutting the shoots. Iiy making taits on oppo- 
site sides of it neaf the base. Wiien <-ut. the poles are classitied, tied 
into bundles, and stacked like hop or bean poles to dry. In the 
lumber yards of Japan these stacked poles of l>amboo form a promi- 
nent feature. 

PROFITS OF BAMBOO CULTURE IN JAPAN. 

Dr. Shiga, chief of the bureau of forest manageiuiMit of Japan, 
when asked wliether bamboo growing was profitable oi' not, said 
promptly that it was the best paying plant cidture in the cf)untry, 
yielding a net return of SHO yen pel' hectare, which is the equivalent 
of about $50 gold per acre. The species referred to by Mr. Shiga in 
this case was tlie edible one. Twenty per cent of this amount repre- 
sents the profits from the sale of cdilile shoots. Mr. Tsuboi's profits 
on his groves of J'/ii/I/osfuc/ij/s ipiilioi, a strictly timber species, aver- 
aged §:i(t an acre, while those of one of his friends near Kyoto were 
§40. The profits of a good grove of edible bamboo are evidently 
greater than tho.se from one grown for timber onlj-, and the author 
was informed by one of the best liamboo growers near Kyoto that his 
profits jier acre were about §'.'() on land which, clearcnl of bamboo, 
would not bring more than $S(i, while good I'ice land sold for %-2[)Q. 
A second grower of bamboos near Kyoto, who ships for the export 
trade from Kobe, informed the writer that the culture in his province 
of J'lnjIloKtachi/fi quUloi yields a net income of about $-40 per acre, 
while 7*. hi'iionlx brings in only about $30. Five years ago the black 
banil)oo brought in a profit of $20<) per acre, but now scarcely nets $50. 
Rice culture in this region, according to Mr. Tsuboi, barely pays more 
than for the cost of labor and manure, the former i-eckoned at 35 to 
40 sen, or ITi to 20 cents gold, a daj-. All of these figures, however, 



24 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

have no practical bearinjr on the protits of bamboo j>ro\vin<f in 
America, where a marl<et for the culm.s can only b(> niade after a con- 
stant rea.sonal)le supply has been assured. 

The cost of the attention which is necessary in order to j^row bam- 
boos is so much less than that required for rice g-rowing, suita))le land 
is so much cheaper, and so much less risk is run from bad weather, 
that the statement that it is the best paying culture in Japan seems 
correct, and such iii(|uiri('s t('n<l to contirm it. 

CULTURE OF THE EDIBLE BAMBOO. 

Only one species of bamboo is commonlj' grown in -Fapan for food, 
and this is the largest one (Phi/lloufdclii/x mifix), known as "■ Moso." 
It was introduced fi'om China, where its value as a food plant has ))een 
known for centuries, and its common name indicates its origin." One 
other sort, J\ aur>'ii, is also said to have edible shoots, but those of 
the remaining kinds are luulerstood to be too bitter to be eaten. 

The method of cultivating this species diti'ers from that described 
for the timber sorts. The l)est soil is a more friable one, and if not 
naturally with a good admixture of sand it must l)e top dressed every 
year with 1 inch of light sandy loam and a mulching of sti'aw or grass 
and weeds cut from tiie meadow. The young plants are .set out more 
sparsely than if designed for timber, not more than 120 to the acre. 
Liquid manure is given freely to the ncnvly set out plants, and as long 
as they are grown for their edible shoots large amounts of ri<'h ferti- 
lizer containing Jniirli solu))le nitrogen must ))e supplied them. In 
Japan the cost of tlie fei'tilizer is the principal expense of cultivation. 
In tivi' years, if the transi)lanted mother plants are of good size, they 
should yi(dd shoots larg(> enough for sale, but ten years are required 
to bring the planttition into a ])i'(ifitalil(' ))earing condition. WcM'diii;;' 
is done more carefully than in tin]b(n' groves, though for the iirst 
five or six years all the shoots whicli come uj) are allowed to stand; 
l)ut latei', when the i)lantation is (■sta1)lished, all small-sized ones are 
promptly reuKJved as soon as they appear abo\-e ground. In order to 
obtain a supply of fresh culms a regular system in cutting out the old 
ones is followed. A definite nuudterof selected stems, as soon as they 
are fully gi'own, are marked with the year of their production, ;ind 
nine years later all of thos(^ bearing the same date are cut out. Each 
spring the sani(> iuuiil>er (about SO per acre) of new culms ar(^ spared 
from being dug out when small for market, and each autumn a similar 

" Moso is the name of one of the twenty-four paragons of Chinese filial ])iety. 
The story is the case of a boy whose widowed mother fell ill and longed for liroth 
made of yonng bamboo shoots. The shoots not being proenrable in winter, his devo- 
tion was such that he went out in the snow to dig for them. The gods rewarded his 
devotion hy causing the shoots to grow suddenly to an nnheard-of size. .Ia|ianese 
artists are fond of illustrating their works of art with drawings of the boy Moso. 



CULTURE OF EDIBLE BAMBOO. '25 

nuniber of It-yoar-old .stems are cut and sold for timljcr. These arc 
only a small proportion of the total number of bamboos on an acre, 
for this rani;-ps from (UO to (iSO. If this system of thiiiniiiji- out is fol- 
lowed a ))lantatioii may be kept in bearing- almost indetiiiitely. IS'ear 
Kyoto the practice is followed of cutting off the top of every shoot 
left standing, befoi'c it is fully mature, to a height of from 12 to 1-t 
feet. This prevents the wind from moving the culms too nuich and 
induces the formation of a bushy mass of luxuriant foliage and a great 
numlx'r of medium-sized shoots, which are more profitable tlian the 
few larger-sized ones that result if the mother plants are not topped. 

The tenderest shoots and those which bring the highest prices are 
the on(>s dug up liefore their tips have pierced the Surface of the soil. 
These biing. early in the season, as uuu-h as 1 yen per "kwan" (about 
6 cents gold per jwund), while the later product must sometimes be 
disposed of for a tenth of this price. The market season in Tokyo 
begins in December and closes in June. Although bamboo shoots are 
very nutritious, they are not easily digested, and many Americans do 
not like them for this reason. Old residents in elapan, however, often 
grow very fond of them and have adapted them to tlieir \^'estern menu. 

Miss Fanny Eldredge, of Yokohama, has very kindly fuinished the 
following recipes for cooking bamboo shoots: 

1. Bamboo sprmils vnth crritin n<tiic(: — These sprouts are out when al)ont a foot above 
the ground, by tlifigino; down tn tlif rliizomes which bear them, .\fter bein<; gath- 
ered, the out'fide sheaths are removed and tlie .shoot-: are soaked tor lialf an hour 
in cold water. Tl)ey are then cut in tliin slices, about .'5 inclies long by 1 inch square, 
and thrown into lioiling water containing a small teaspoonful of salt, and are boiled 
from an hour to an hour and a half, or until tender. The ]iieees are then drained 
and a white sauce Ls poured over them, which is made in the following way: To a 
half pint of cream or milk add a teas|ioonfnl of butter; season witli .salt and black 
liepjier. Allow this to boil up and serve at once. If desired, this sauce may be 
thickened with flour. 

2. liiimlioo xhinih ill //k^^ii. —Slice ami cook as in the inevious recipe, until tender. 
Into a saucepan put three tablespoonluls of butter, seasoned with |)epiier, salt, and a 
little chopped ]iarsley. When heated, put in the liandioo. Shake and turn until 
the mixture boils: then lay the bamboo on a hot platter, |iour the butler over it, and 
serve at once. 

3. Jlttnihoii shouts, Jiijiaiiisi' slijh'. — Slice and (^ook the band)Oo until tentler, as in 
recipe No. 1; then put into a sau<'e ujade as follows: Take one coffee cup full of soy 
sauce (this is the basis of Worcestershire sauce and obtaineil only at Chinese or 
Japanese grocers or at some of the largest groceries in our large cities), one-fourth 
cujifnl of water, one heaping teasiioonful of sugar; let boil for half an hour in this 
sauce, and serve. 

DIFFERENT SPECIES OF BAMBOOS. 

The bamboo family is a large one and scattered over a great portion 
of tlie warmer and mountain regions of the globe, and, owing to the 
fact that the plants so infrequently bloom and that their classification 



26 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

depends upon the characters of the flower, it is not a very ^sell- 
known group of jilants. The monograph by Munro" is one of 
the most comprehensive attempts to give in one book descriptions 
of all of the known species. Of the hundreds of dcsci-il)ed forms 
only a small proportion are of much economic importance, and of 
these only a few are hardy. When the interior of China, the slopes 
of th(> Himalayas and Andes, and tiie mountains of the i\Ialay 
Archipelago liave been searched over for valuable hardy forms, 
the comparatively short list of species suital)le for introduction will 
doubtless be largely increased. Anyone wishing to know what a 
large territory there is to search oyer for hardy bamboos and how 
many remain to be introduced and tested, will lind these subjects dis- 
cussed in a very interesting chapter called, "Futui-e iwissil)ilities." in 
Mr, Mitford's book, "The Bamboo Ciarden." Nor should attention 
be confined to the hardy forms, ^\■hen the tropical species are so many 
and various and have been so little studied from an economic stand- 
point. Thei'e are forms in Burma which could doul)tless be introduced 
with great advantage into the Philippines, and species from the semi- 
tropical regions of China which arc worthy of establishing in Hawaii. 
In fact, the more familiar one becomes with the bamltoo question the 
truer does Mr. Mitford's statement, from the esthetic standpoint, 
appear, that "we have only touched the fringe of what we may hope 
to achieve in the decoration f>f our wilderness gardens with the grace 
of these royal grasses." 

At present, only a limited number of forms are eligible for intro- 
duction into the United States, and the majority of th<>se are found in 
Japan. 

The following popular descriptions of the more important economic 
sorts are given to assist in determining those conuuon species which 
may be introduced in the near future, or which are already growing in 
America. The nomenclature followed is that given by Mr. Mitford 
in his "Bamboo Garden," except in such species as are not included 
by him, when Sir Ernest Satow's work, "The Cultivation of Baml)oos 
in Japan," is followed. This is not an attempt to clear up the nomen- 
clature of the.se badly mixed species. 

The diti'erent common species of Japanese bamboos whicii reseml)le 
each other have been .so often taken for one another that a convenient 
method of telling them apart is a very desiral)le thing. Sucli a method 
Sir Ernest Satow has drawn attention to in his book. It consists in 
comparing the forms and markings of the sheaths that surround the 
young shoots and in the leaf like appendages or pseudophylls which 
are borne at their tips. He has published colored plates to illustrate 

"Monograph of the Rambu.saeefe, including descriptions of all the .sjiecies. L< union, 
1870, 157 pp. 



DIFFERENT SPECIES. 27 

these character.s. The difficulty in using them, however, is that the 
siieaths are only ol)tainabio in the season when tiiere are young' shoots. 
Mr. Mitt'onl points out tluit tiie form and coloration of the winter 
buds in the axils of the branches, from which new branches develop, 
are important means of distinguishino- the species. The characters 
which determine whether a t)aml)o() ])clono-s to the Baiulnim, Phyl- 
loKtaclnja^ or Arniidiiiaria genera, which are all it is necessary to con- 
sider here, are unfortunately largely floral ones and for practical 
purposes nearly useless. The genus Bdinhitsu belongs to a s(>ction 
(BdiiihiiNR' r<'r»') in which the flowers have six stamens, while Phyllox- 
fiir/ii/s and Ai'undinai'i'ii 1)oth belong to the Trighix.^af section, where 
the flowers have three stamens. Arttndinarid is distinguished from 
PJn/lIiiiif<icJiyii by having round stems, while those of the latter are 
grooved or slightly flattened on one side. The sheaths in Anmdiuuria 
remain attached nuich longer than in P/ii/Jiotifae/ii/a, as a rule those of 
the latter genus dropping oft" as soon as the culms are mature. 

Phyllostachts MiTis, A. & C. Riviere. 

(Japanese name: " Moso-ckika" or " Moiixo-chihu." ) 

The largest hardy species in Japan, growing to a height of over 50 
feet and producing, not uncommonly, culms over (i inches in diameter. 
In England specimens have been grown to a height of 19 feet and a 
diameter of H inches. T/w euhns mv geniJi/ ci/rrcd fihorfJy after htir- 
iug ilie gi'dUiid, while those of other sorts with which it might be con- 
fused rise straight from the base. (Compare flgs. 1 and 3, PI. IV.) 
Its sheaths are of a light-brown color, uhirl'ed irlf/i durk imdh r-hroim 
Ijlotclit'i^ and round dats and covered with bristles. The p^eudophj'U is 
broad at the base, tapers to a point, Init is not wavy in outline. The sheath 
spreads right and left from the base of the pseudophyll and is fringed 
throughout witii hairs, which are straight when they lie V)etwecn the 
pseudophyll and the stem, but curled on the right and left sides where 
they are free to develop. The internodes are generally shorter than 
those of the other large species and the leaf sheatlis are fringed at the 
insertion of the leaf with a nmnher of rather coarse hairs. The branch 
buds are purplish brown and strongly marked. The leaves vary from 
1 to C inches in length and are too variable to lie convenient characters 
for quick determination. This is the great edible bamboo of Japan 
and Ciiina, the method of cultivation of which has been described. It 
is not as hardy in England as Phylleistaehys qnilioi m\A P. henonis. 

Phyllostachts Quilioi, A. & C. Riviere. 

(Japanese name: " Madnke.") 

The second lacgest hardy species, growing to a height of 30 to 40 
feet in elapan and 18 feet in England, with a diameter of 1 inches and 
li inches, respectively. The great timber bamboo of the Japanese. 



28 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

The culiiis rise straig'ht from the rhizome, and the branches are pro- 
portionately lontj, compared with the height of the stem. 

Its sheaths are marked with 2>i"'J'^'' '"' f<'iidi>;h hlotclwx^ '(cliirli are 
much more j^ronounced in character than those of the preceding species, 
and thi' pxcudiijihi/ll has a iiiaivj oatliiie. The branch buds have green 
bases, and onl>' the tips are brown. The new slioots appear above 
ground in Japan a month hiter than those of the following species 
{P. hciioiils)^ that is, in June. The internodes are proportionatelj' 
longer than those of P. mifls, Imt the leaf sheaths arc fi'iiiged with long 
hairs, as they arc in that species. The leaves vary in length from 2 
to 8 inches, but are proportionately broader, according to Mitford. 
This species is hardy in Kngland and has a moi-e vigorously spreading 
rhizome than that of /'. mitix or /'. aurm. 

PiiYLi,osTACHYS Henonis, Mitford. 

(Japanesk name: " Ilncliihu.") 

A somewhat smaller kind of bamboo than the preceding two species. 
Considered by Mitford the prettiest one cultivated in England. Height 
in Japan from 20 to 30 feet, with a maximum diameter of a trifle over 3 
inches. In England specimens 14 feet high and one-half inch in diameter 
occur. After /'. nu'tifi and /'. quilioi the commonest timber form in 
Japan. Culms rise straight from the l)ase. Sheaths are a straif color. 
With fcin or )io spots of a 111/ I'iiid mid initJi a distliictli/ ipiici/ jisei/do- 
phi/// like the blade of a Malay Zv/.v. New shoots appear before those 
of /'. ijif/7/o/ — tliat is, in April and May. T\n\ leaf sheaths are fringed 
(at least on young plants) with delicate haii's, which are iir/'ftier xo long 
nor hristlehhe as those in P. mitis and P. ijiiilio!. Branch buds 
are a pale yellowish-green. The pipe is thinner walled than that of 
/'. ijiiiliiii^ and its use in the arts is restricted liecause of the inferior 
(pialily <if (he wood. The rootstock is said to run freelv in England, 
where it has proved hardy. 

"MaDAUADAKk" or " UMMfJN-l^HIKU." 

A form closely related to /'. Iniionis^ which is distinguished by hav- 
ing dark blotches on its culms that are presumably caused by some as 
yet undetermined species of fungus. These spots are regularly pres- 
ent on almost all internodes and give to the stems a very decorative 
appearance, making them much sought after for fancy furniture. The 
extent and b(>auty of these blotches vary with the amount of shade 
which the plants are given and the kind of soil upon which they are 
grown. The ))est location is said to be a moist river bottom, and the 
less direct sunlight that is permitted to sti-ike the young shoots when 
in growth the better. A rare .sort, except in certain localities in Japan. 
Some of tlie liest groves the writer has seen arc in Hikone, in the 
province of Mine, on Lake Biwa. 



DlFb'EKENT SPECIES. 29 

Phyllostachys Nir.uA, Mumo. 

(Japanese names: " (lommlak(\" " Kiini-rhikii," m- " Kinml'iii.") 

Tlic black ))!iinl)o() is not as g^encnilly grown in -Japan as the tlircc 
species just nicntioneil, Imt it is nevertheless an important culture. 
Fornicrlv more money was made out of it than has l)een the case in 
recent years, because the t'orciyn demand, it is said, has fallen oti'. 

It is a smaller species than the other timber sorts, seldom growing 
over ^0 feet high and lA inches in diameter. 

The culms when young are covei'ed with dark-brown to jiurple spots, 
which spread as it grows older until the whole culm becomes dark- 
brown, almost l)lack, except just below the nodes, where there is an 
ash-grav line. This dark color at oucv distinguishes the species from 
all other Japanese .sorts. Branch buds are brown, mottled with black. 
There is a great variation in the intensity of this dark color of the culms, 
and this is said to vary with the kind of soil upon which the plants are 
grown and the amount of sunlight to which they are exposed. There 
arc, however, at least two varieties of this species, one with nnich more 
intensely brown culms than the other. Mr. jNIitford calls the lighter 
sort /'. iii</rii-punctata, and remarks that it is hardier than P. )ii<jiu, 
but n(.)t so pi-etty. Light, hillside soil is claimed as better adapted to 
the production of intense color than rich alluviiun, and it is found 
necessary' to renew old plantations, in ordt'r to prevent the color from 
fading out. 

This is one of the hariliest forms grown in England, attaining in 
exceptional ca.ses 20 feet in height, and it is certainly one of the most 
decorative kinds. Nothing could exceed the delicate beauty of the 
groves of this species which are to be seen near Kyoto. Their dark 
stems, ash-gray nodes, and light-green foliage make them uni(|ue 
among decorativ(> plants. (See PI. I.) 

The uses of this species are limited to the manufacture of furniture, 
numerous household articles, and fancy hshing poles, for all of which 
these black bamboos are peculiarly suited. 

Phyllostachvs Castili.oni.s." 

(Japanese name: " Kiinniii-rhihi." ) 

The golden-striped bamboo is one of the most decorative forms of 
the group. It is not easily confused with other Japanese sorts when 
its characters are fully developed, for each culm is of a beautiful 
golden-yellow color, striped with brilliant green. The leaves also are 
variegated with stripes of green and white. The contrast between 
the golden yellow of the stems and the green stripes on the young 

"No authority is given liy Mitfonl for this name, and the author lias been unable 
as yet to work out its correct name. The nomenclature of the bamboos needs work- 
ing over. 



30 JAPANESE BAMBOOS. 

shoots is one of the prettiest etiefts imaginable. The species <,'tows 
occasional!}' over 30 feet iiigh in Japan and specimeus 5 to (J feet iiigh 
are already found in England, where the species has withstood a tem- 
perature of 2-1: degrees of frost or 8'-' F. It is not a common species 
even in the gardens of .Japan, and Mr. Mitford saj's it is uncommon in 
England. Very young plants sometimes show only slight traces of 
the variegation on the stems, but develop this character later. 

Mr. Tsuboi, who has the most exceptional taste in bamboos, and in 
the dwarfing of which he is an acknowledged connoisseur (see PI. VII, 
fig. 1), suggested planting a mixture of this golden bamboo with the 
black species, P. nigra. As a rule, mixtures of ))amboos are said to 
be objectionable, but such a mingling of golden and black stems is 
worthy of an experiment. 

Phyllostachts Aurea, a. & C Riviere. 

(Japanese names: " Holei-i-)iikH" " Ilorai-Chiku," or " Taibo-Chlku.") 

A smaller species than /'. mitis or P. ijuil/'ot, but attaining in Eng- 
land a height of l-t feet and a diameter of culm of over thrce-t\)urths 
of an inch. In Japan, culms have been observed over li inches in 
diameter. It is not a golden bamboo, as its name implies, its stems 
Ijeing about the cok)r of /'. mlih. The distinguishing characteristic- 
is thnt the first 5 or 6 internodes near the ground are very sliort, 
bringing the internodes, or joints, close together, often only a few 
inches apart. These joints are not, as in P. lu'terocyela, set at an angle 
to the direction of the- stem, but are generally parallel to each other 
and quite horizontal. Branch buds are variable in color, but pale. Mr. 
Mitford remarks that this species should })e planted in large, bold 
masses for good landscape efl'ect, for if single plants are set out they 
send up shoots only near the mother culm and produce a switch-like 
effect. The shoots of this species are edible, according to the Japanese 
liooks, and are of even better tlavor than those of P. inltix; hut this 
variety does not appear to be grown for food. 

Phyli.ostachys Bambusoides, Sieb. & Zucc. 
(Japanese name: '•Yadake.") 

The arrow bamboo is that of which the stems are still employed in 
the manufacture of the line Japanese arrows used generally for archery 
purposes. The plant is still a I'are one in England, and Mitford saj's 
that other sorts are sometimes sold by .Japanese nurserymen under its 
name. It is not very commonly seen in gardens, so far as observed, 
even in Japan, and the arrow makers, it is said, get their main supply 
of stems from wild plants. There are some of these maimfacturers in 
the town of Shizuoka, but the demand for arrows is so small that they 
are doing a poor business. This species is distinguished from others 



DIFFERENT SPECIES. 31 

by the fact that it does not liave an actively creeping rootstock. Each 
])huit forni.s a separate small chunp hy itself. The branches are shorter 
than the internodes and the middle ))ranch of the three is longest, 
whereas in other bamboos the middle Ijranch is the shortest — some- 
times wanting. Clumps of this form grow to 10 or 12 feet in height 
in Japan, with a diameter of little over three-fourths of an inch. The' 
internodes are long, and the sheaths, although withering the first year, 
do not fall off until the following year. They are bright green in color, 
witli a purple edging. The leaves are large, sometimes over 12 inches 
long by li inches broad, and are borne in fours, five.s, sevens, or 
eights. The hardness of the culms, their small cavity, and the smooth- 
ness of the nodes, as well as their small size, are characteristics that 
well adapt them for arrow milking. This is believed to be a hardj^ 
species, and it is (piite unlike the ordinary bamboos in appearance. 

Phyllostachys Marliacea, Mitford. 

(.Tai'Anese NAiMKs: "f<liiho-chika" or "Shiirri-rliik>i.") 

The "wrinkled l>amboo" is easily distinguished from all other kinds 
by the fact that its culms are longitudinally channeled with shallow 
grooves. It is a low-growing species compared with J\ qullioi, which 
it otherwise resemljles, not being commoidy over 12 to 1-1 feet high, 
even in Japan. It is a rare kind, and its culms are used occasionally, 
it is said, for decorative woodwork in the special rooms which in many 
Japanese houses are kept sacred for the tea-drinking ceremony. A 
beautiful and hardy form. 

AUUNDINAKIA Japonica, Sieb. lie Zucc. 

(.Iai'ANEse name: " Mi'lab'" or M<'<hikr;" not " Makiiiie") 

A well-known baml»oo in Europe, where it is not very highly thought 
of l)y some, but is praised as a valuable decorative plant by others. A 
form distinguishable liy its persistent sheaths which, instead of falling 
oil', like those of the genus /'/ii///<).s(av/ii/.s, remain attached until they 
become frayed out and split to pieces. These ragged sheaths give to 
clinnps of the plant an untidy appearance. The culms are round and 
without any groove or Hattening on one side, as is the case with the 
Phyllostachides. The pseudoph3'lls of the ordinary sheaths are very 
narrow, sometimes not over an eighth of an inch wide, and from 1 to 2 
inches long; but those of the topmost sheaths develop into true leaves. 
The leaves themselves are large, 8 to 12 inches by 1^ to 2 inches. 
This is said to be the hardiest species in Japan, growing as far north 
as the island of Hokkaido, whei-e the temperatui'e falls below zero 
Fahrenheit. Its culms are extensively used for fan making, and 
millions of cheap paper-colored fans are made ever\' year from the 



32 .lAl'ANESK HAMBOO.S. 

stems of this species. River hunks uiul tiic iiiiiri;iiis of ponds iind 
cantils are eminently suited to its growth, and the overflowed hinds 
of the Colorado River in Arizona might be planted to advantajfe 
with this species. This hamhoo is one of the few that has flowered 
and fruited in Eurojje. According- to JNIr. Mitford, specimens in the 
Bois de Bologne in Raris, and simultaneously all over France and in 
Algiers, bloomed and produced fruit in iSC)" or iStiS. 

AuuNDiNAKiA SiiMONi, A. & C. Riviere. 

(.T.M'ANESE NAMU: " .\iirill i rilfldti." } 

Tiiis species is easily distinguished by its broad, j)ersistent sheaths 
of a i)lain straw color tliat fall ofl' only after the culms have attained 
maturity. (PI. V, tig. 1.) It is the tallest of the hai'dy arundinarias 
which are grown in England, the culms attaining a height of is feet 
and a diameter of an inch. The shoots ap])ear from midsummer until 
late in the autumn, and Mr. Mitford remarks that many do not mature 
sufficiently to stand the P^nglish winters. The sheaths nearest the 
ground arc short, though long enough to overlap the internodes, but 
those of the upper joints, although S to Kt inches long, do not exceed 
the internodes in length. They are at first of a tine green color, shad- 
ing into purple, which soon fades, however, to a dull yellow. These 
prominent slieaths, which are thick, stitif, and ))eautifully glazed on 
the side next the culm, will easily distinguish this arundinaria from 
any other common Japanese form. The species has flowered and 
fruited in England, and it is (juite universally grown in English 
gai'dens. A long description of it is given by Mr. Mitford in "The 
Bamboo Garden." 

Akundinakia Hin'dsii, Munro. 

(.],\r.\NE.st; name: "K<iii:iiii-rliil:<i." ) 

The Kanzan-chiku is a very conunon gardiui plant about Tokyo, and 
clumi)s of it arc to be found in many of the farmyards in central 
.Japan, where the culms grow to a height of 18 feet and attain a diam- 
eter of over It^ inches. This species forms pretty clumps, with a tine 
grass-like foliage, and although little farm u.se is made of it, it is 
worthy of trial as an ornamental. Its hardiness has not been demon- 
strated in England, but it seems likely to prove as hard}' as forms like 
P. mitis. It is distinguished from the preceding arundinarias b}' its 
long, narrow leaves, sometimes It inches by tive-eighths of an inch, 
according to Mr. Mitford. The sheath is provided with a reddish 
margin toward the tip. 



DIFFERENT SPECIES. 33 

Arundinaria Hindsii, vur. Graminea. 

(Japanese name; '' Taimin-chil.'u.") 

A sort similar to the foregoing, but with considerably narrower 
leaves and a longer, iiai'rower sheath, with no evidences of a brown 
margin. 

Bambusa \'kitchii, C'arr. 

(Syxiin'vm: Ari()i(liiiayi(( reifc-liii. Japanese s.\mf.: '■ Kfihinnaiasa;" sometimes only 

" Kiimtiziimi.'' ) 

The Kumazasa, by which is generally meant Bcanhu.sa jxthitafa, and 
this B. lyltrhl! are sometimes confused. The latter may be distin- 
guished by the fact that its leaf margins wither in late autumn and 
make the plant look as if it were variegated. B. vt-itchii is further- 
more, as a rule, only about 2 feet high, whereas B. 2)(iJ>nat<i grows to 
feet in height. The sheath of B. reitchii is said by Sir Ernest Satow 
to 1)0 longer and more persistent than that of B. pahmtta. The leaves 
of B. i-(:'it<'li<i are much smaller than those of its taller relative and 
warrant the name of "Kokumazasa," or lesser bamboo. This species 
is suitable for lawn planting and is used b}- the Japanese to plant 
under their pine trees and to cover with a thick mat of green foliage 
a sloping hillside or emliankment, for both of which purposes it is 
admirably adapted (PI. V). It must be kept from spreading into cul- 
tivated ground by means of a broad ditch, 2 feet deep and \\ feet 
wide. The variegated efl'ect produced by the dead margins of the 
leaves after being touched l)y frost is striking, though not very 
attractive. 

Bambusa Palmata, Hort. Ex. Kew Bull. 

(Japanese name: '' Kniitazasa.") 

A much larger species than the preceding and with leaves 12 to 13 
inches long instead of 5 to 6 inches. Altogether one of the most effective 
plants for embankments, as it covers them with a mass of broad leaf 
surface which is very attractive. Its rhizomes are said to be good 
sand-liindei-s. Large patches of this plant on a lawn or hillside are 
striking objects of interest. Caution must be exercised to prevent 
the rhizomes from invading cultivated fields. This can be done by 
• ditching, as has been described for B. re/fc/u'i. 

Bambusa QuADKAN(iULAKis, Fenzi. 

(Japanese names: " ShUxi-rhiku" or " Shikaku-dakr.") 

The square bamboo is unlike any other Japanese species in the pos- 
session, when fully grown, of square culms. These square stems are 
often not apparent on j-oung small shoots, but the older ones are sufe 

270.38— No. 43—03 3 



34 JAVANESE BAMBOOS. 

to show this character. The squareness of these cuhns is aptly com- 
pared ))y ]Mr. Mitford to the square stems of the Laliiates. Small 
groves of this bamboo are to be seen not far from Yokohama, and the 
writer has seen stems among one of these groves that were about 20 
feet high, while ^Ir. ]\Iitford says the plant grows to 30 feet near 
Osaka. The sheath is very thin and delicate and more open than in 
most l)am])oos. gaping from the base and leaving the greater part of 
the internode uncovered. The wood of this species is too weak to 
make it of any great value, and its sensitiveness to frost is too great 
to enable one to class it among the hardy sorts. It is, however, a 
decorative plant and worthy of repeated trials in the f rostless I'egions 
of America. It is said tliat roots will form easily from tiie lower 
nodes of the square bamboo if the portion bearing these nodes is buried 
in the soil. This would facilitate propagation if the statement proves 
correct. 

Bambusa Vul(;aris, Schi-ad. 

(Japanese name: " Tdiaiin-rliiku.") 

A species growing in Satsumn, the southern province of Japan, liut 
which is not hardy at Yokohama. It is propagated ditierently from 
the hardy sorts, as new shoots are borne from the base of the culm as 
well as from the rhizome. Short culm bases, without rhizomes, arc 
potted and easily transported from Satsuina to Yokohama, where new 
branches appear from the nodes. This species is said to be easy to 
propagate because of this diaracter, Init it will probably have a chance 
to succeed in the Ignited States only in subtropical Florida and Texas, 
where it will require a good soil, rich in iuunus. 

"Shakittan." 

'"Shakutan" is the name of a very pretty species which is reported 
to grow in the northern island of Japan and to be perfectly hardy. 
The writer saw plants under this name in the Yokohama Nursery 
Company's grounds. They were very distinct from B. pahnata, and 
dried specimens were sent to Mr. Makino in Tokyo for determination. 
The species is probably related to B. jydhiiata^ but the broad, large 
leaves are mostly situated near the tip of the slender sheath-covered 
stem, which rises from the gi-ound with a characteristic carve, and is 
bare of leaves for several feet from the ground. 

Plate V, tig. 3, shows a clump of what appears to l)e the same spe- 
cies, from Tosa, one of the southern islands of Japan, which was 
growing in ^Ir. Tsuboi's garden under the name " Hanchiku." The 
culms are almost covered with tiie light-colored persistent sheaths 
from the ground to the leaves. The stems are not over one-fourth to 
three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and are about 5 feet high. 



PLATES 



35 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 

Plate I. A commercial grove of the lilack liamtjoo (Flnjlku^tachiis nir/ra) growiiiir at 
Kaiden, Shinkotari, near Kyoto, the property of Mr. Denkichi Fujibaya.-ilii. 
Age unknown, lint probably more than 30 years old. Photographed by Yendo. 

Plate II. \ well-kept forest of Phijllostacht/s qiiilioi growing on good soil, showing an 
open drainage ditch in foreground and the thick mulch of leaves and straw 
which co\'er the ground. Age probably over 50 years. Photographed liy 
Yendo. 

Plate III. Bamboo forests. Fir/. 1. — A well-kept forest of P/ii/Wo.s/(«7ii/.« 7!(i7(0) grow- 
ing on poor soil filled with gravel Weeding has not been as recently done as in 
.that part of the forest shown in PI. IF. The two photographs from which 
these plates were prepared were taken from points not 20 yards apart in the 
forest of JNIr. Isnke Tsuboi, of Kusafuka. Photographed bj' Yendo. Fkj. 2. — A 
liadly kept forest of timber bamboo {PiDjIloftacliiis rpiUioi) growing on good soil 
adjacent to the well-kept forest shown in PI. II. This shows the effect of not 
weeding, thinning out, or fertilizing. Photographed by Y'endo. 

Plate IV. Bamboo groves in Jai>an. Fiij. 1. — A liillside grove or forest of the edible 
species {PlnjUosldcIii/s mills) 20 years old, showing large size of the culms. 
Fig. 2. — A grove of the same species over 100 years old near Tokyo. Tlie bundle 
of barley straw shown on the right will lie used for mulching purposes. Fi;;. S. — 
A 12-day-old shoot of PJiiiUoxladttiii (j»(7/oi in a forest of the same species on l\Ir. 
Tsuboi's place at Kusafuka. 

Platk Y. Bamboo groves in Japan. Fig. 1. — i'Uwwp oi Arimdniciria siinoni, showing 
the persistent characteristic sheaths. Fig. 2. — Grove of PlijiVo.slitchi/s tjuilioi on 
Mr. Tsuboi's place at Kusafuka. Age unknown, but probalily more than TiO 
years old. Fig. 3. — Plat of a species of bamboo caMe<i by ]Mr. Tsuboi " Han- 
chiku," from Tosa Island, which has not been determined botanically so far as 
known. An exceedingly pretty, decorative form, somewhat like PliiillnitUicliijx 
palmaUi. 

Plate YI. Bamboo plants. Fig. 1. — A yoimg black bamboo plant of which the 
rhizome, to be seen on the left, has died. The rosette of leaves still remains 
alive, but no ynung shoots are formed. This specimen was dug in Jlr. Tsuboi's 
garden at Kusafuka. Photngraphed by Yen<lo. Fig. 2. — Properly dug young 
plant of black bamboo ready to transplant, showing several inches of rhizome 
on l)oth sides of the liase of the stem, which is necessary for the production of 
new shoots. This specimen was dug under Mr. Tsuboi's direction and repre- 
sents his idea of how a plant should be prepared for transplanting if dug late in 
the season. Photographed by Yendo. Fig. 3. — Rhizome or underground stem 
of bamboo {PhyUnxkichgsrjmlioi), showing young shoots and roots springing from 
the nodes. Dug in June. It dug in winter, the buds would all be in a dormant 
condition. Photographed by Y'endo. 

Plate VII. Bamboo scenes. Fig. 1. — Dwarf bamboos at Kusafuka. Fig. 2. — Em- 
bankment on top of a wall in a city street in Tokyo planted with Bambusa ivitcliii. 
Fig. •:?. — Young shoot showing effects of the bamboo culm-boring larva. Sawdust 
on outside of shoot affords evidence of presence of larva within. Fig. 4- — i^ongi- 
tudinal section of young shoot showing the culm-boring larva inside one of the 
segments. Photographed by Yendo. 

Plate VIII. Bamboos in California. Figx. lands. — RoviS oi Plujlloxhirhy.^ r/uilioi C!) 
growing 25 feet tall in the grounds of a nursery company at Niles. Watered 
twice a year with 2 inches of water each time. This species is called Bainhima 
siriala by Mr. Rock. Fig. 5.— Plant of Phylloshwhys qxnUfji (?) which was set out 
two years ago in the grounds of a nursery company at Niles. 
36" 

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Bui. 43, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Dept of Agriculture. 



Plate II. 




A Well-kept Forest of Timber Bamboo (Phyllostachys quiliom on Good Soil. 



Bui. 43, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Dept of Agriculture. 



Plate III. 




Fig. 1 .—A Well-kept Forest of Timber Bamboo 
I Phyllostachys quilioii on Poor Soil. 




Fig. 2.— a Badly Kept Forest of Timber Bamboo (Phyl- 
lostachys QuiLioi) ON Good Soil. 



Bui 43, Bureau of Plant Industry, U, S. Dept, of Agricultuie. 



Plate IV. 



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Plate V. 





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Plate VI. 



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Bui, 43, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S, Dept- of Agriculture. 



Plate Vll. 




Fig. 1 —A Few Dwarf Bamboos. 




Fig. 2.— Embankment of Bambusa veitchii in Tokyo. 




Fig. 3.— Sawdust on Shoot, Indicating Presence of Culm-boring Larva. 




FiQ. 4.— Longitudinal Section of Shoot, Showing Culm-boring Larva. 



Bui. 43, Bureau of Piar.t Induitry, U. S. 


Dept. 


3f Agriculture. 


Plate VIM. 




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